CBS: On Thursday it was the Eye’s turn to be the only network with original regular programming, and as with NBC the night before, it provided some lovely numbers. THE BIG BANG THEORY kicked things off with a massive 6 rating (up 0.6 from the show’s last original episode), followed by 2 1/2 MEN with 4.6 (up half a point). PERSON OF INTEREST joined in the fun with a 3.4 (also up half a point), and ELEMENTARY, while not as impressive as its predecessors, was up 0.2 to 2.5.

FOX: More MOBBED, more ghastly numbers: 1.0/1.2 for its two hours.

NBC: None of its reruns even reached a 1 rating, with the 0.9 for THE OFFICE as the night’s high.

ABC: Similarly, the night’s best number was a 0.9 for the 10PM SCANDAL rerun.

CW: 0.4/0.3 for a pair of VAMPIRE DIARIES/BEAUTY & THE BEAST reruns.

Tonight marks the first post-holiday evening where most of the networks are back in business, with CBS and ABC airing all-new line-ups, and FOX broadcasting the COTTON BOWL, now one of the only college football bowl games not covered by ESPN. NBC has a new 2-hour DATELINE, leaving CW as the only network completely in rerun mode.

About the Author

Mitch Salem

MITCH SALEM has worked on the business side of the entertainment industry for 20 years, as a senior business affairs executive and attorney for such companies as NBC, ABC, USA, Syfy, Bravo, and BermanBraun Productions, and before that, at the NY law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. During all that, he has more or less constantly been going to the movies and watching TV, and writing about both since the 1980s. His film reviews also currently appear on screened.com and the-burg.com. In addition, he is co-writer of an episode of the television series "Felicity."